The Peerless Emperor

The wound on the stomach of the carcass of the ferocious king whale in front of them was extremely smooth and even, as if it had been sliced in a perfect circle in one breath.

The blue spot at the edge of the wound was very eye-catching.

The abdominal cavity was full of sea water, with the internal organs completely empty.

According to Lin Qian, the organs of the ferocious king whale were probably not washed away by the sea water, but rather sucked out by something, most likely a Soul Beast that had devoured the organs, leaving it so clean.

Moreover, the blood of the ferocious king whale was probably also sucked dry by the perpetrator.

"Their souls have dissipated, with no residual soul energy left. Coupled with the lack of injuries on their bodies, the cause of death should be that their souls were taken away," said Zhou Yi’an, who was observing these corpses at the same time. He spoke to the people around him with a series of bubbles emerging from the water-breathing Soul Device on his face.

At this point, Zhou Yi’an also pulled over a one-armed, small-statured corpse of the Black Blade Fish Clan to demonstrate to everyone.

As for the water-breathing Soul Device on his face, it was given by Lin Qian to everyone in the Carefree Sect.

After all, Zhou Yi’an had given him so many texts, so this small token of appreciation was certainly due.

What Lin Qian found somewhat strange, however, was that even though Zhou Yi’an accepted the gift without delay, he was profusely grateful and even showed a somewhat respectful demeanor, which puzzled him.

Previously, Zhou Yi’an had indeed been polite to him but ultimately treated Lin Qian as a junior, while this new attitude made Lin Qian feel unexpectedly honored.

"The dissipation of the soul is certainly peculiar; we need to be more cautious moving forward," said Zhang Tianxin at the same time, with a grave expression before turning to leave and give orders.

This team was led by the two strong figures, Zhang Tianxin and Zhou Yi’an, along with four elders of the Eight-Armed Sea Clan and four elders of the Carefree Sect, as well as three hundred accompanying powerhouses.

Of their generation of young disciples, only their group of eight was participating in the exploration of the Ancient Human Clan relics.

At this time, Lin Qian also quietly retreated with Ye Xin, coming around to the back of the residence atop the skeletal crown of the ferocious king whale.

Lin Qian spread his hands, and ordinary fish, which seemed unremarkable, appeared out of nowhere.

These common sea fish flicked their tails in front of Lin Qian, twisting their bodies as they swam in all directions, vanishing from his and Ye Xin’s sight.

"Are these fish for scouting purposes?" asked Ye Xin curiously, watching the fish swim away in an instant.

Lin Qian nodded slightly and said to Ye Xin, "Reconnaissance Beasts, all sorts of shapes and sizes—fish, birds, flies, and so on. Whatever they see will be transmitted back to us."

"If we have these little creatures, aren’t Swift Soldiers unnecessary?"

"Swift Soldiers not only probe for information but also disguise and infiltrate for assassinations, and they’re quite capable in their own right. These little creatures just roam around and look, which is more suited for keeping watch," Lin Qian said softly, scratching Ye Xin’s nose with his hand.

Ye Xin nodded gently, clutching Lin Qian’s arm with a worried expression, "Little Qian, what on earth could it be that silently slaughtered the Black Blade Fish Clan, a clan nearly as powerful as the Eight-Armed Sea Clan?"

"But there are too few people," Lin Qian said, having released the Reconnaissance Beasts, holding Ye Xin’s hand while heading back to their yard, "Our expedition team has over three hundred with sufficient combat power, and there’s also a thousand handling miscellaneous duties."

Ye Xin also nodded gently, "It is indeed strange; there are only so few corpses. They don’t seem like they were here for the South Meeting at all."

Not participating in the South Meeting?

Impossible, the Black Blade Fish Clan in the Southern Sea Domain is a major clan comparable to the Eight-Armed Sea Clan, how could they not be a Sea Clan that is participating in the Clan Meeting?

The bizarre encounter heightened the vigilance of Lin Qian’s team.

To avoid being lured into a trap, Zhang Tianxin and Zhou Yian did not allow anyone to leave the Megalodon Whale, merely sending out fixed patrols around it without conducting extensive exploration.

Of course, they were unaware that the fish-shaped Reconnaissance Beasts Lin Qian had dispatched had already cast a vast net of alertness around the Megalodon Whale.

Should any anomaly arise, the Heavenly Art Department would notify Lin Qian, enabling him to react in advance.

However, the journey that followed was smooth sailing. Lin Qian and his teammates did not encounter any mishaps; instead, they safely arrived at their destination.

As they approached the Ancient Human Clan ruins, the Megalodon Whale Lin Qian and his team were riding suddenly dived, steadily nearing the bottom of this section of the sea.

The surrounding seawater grew darker with the descent until, as they neared the sea floor, lights gradually began to rise.

After getting close to the sea floor, those who had stepped out from the residence and stood at the edge of the crown bone Array on top of the Megalodon Whale, like Lin Qian, could clearly see the landscape where the lights were emanating below.

Like land, there were mountains nestled within the sea floor, and the architectural remains that had been soaked by the sea for who knows how long remained in very good condition.

These mountainous structures glowed with Soul Energy, illuminating the sea floor as if it were daytime.

Lin Qian and his companions also saw other Megalodon Whales coming from different directions, rushing towards the architectural complex below.

It wasn’t just Megalodon Whales; various strange Sea Soul Beasts, enslaved as mounts for travel, were converging on this submerged site.

Just from the topography beneath the sea, it was not hard to discern that the land, now submerged, once consisted of mountain ranges, probably the site of some sect.

"All around has been explored, with some remains and gains, though all have been scavenged clean. The best-preserved place is the entrance to this Small World. We still don’t know what lies inside," Zhang Tianxin pointed below and told Lin Qian and the others beside him.

Lin Qian fixated on the vast portal at the center of the building complex below, where a whirling vortex of a faint white glimmered, with rune-engraved Array patterns turning into Array bands, seeping into the portal’s structure.

The emanating power of the Array was analyzing and stabilizing the portal.

These were the conclusions drawn by the Heavenly Art Department of the Huaxia Empire after Lin Qian had seen and conveyed the information.

Someone like him, a peak-level idiot when it came to Artifact Refining, Alchemy, and Arrays, simply couldn’t understand.

Controlled by Zhang Tianxin, the Megalodon Whale stirred its massive body and settled in front of a submarine mountain peak, leading Lin Qian and the others to the base of this sea floor mountain.

At the base of this sea floor mountain was a large flat area where a sizeable mansion had been constructed.

As he drew closer, Lin Qian could clearly see that this mansion bore signs of repair.

"This place will be our temporary residence for rest. Our Eight-Armed Sea Clan and the Array Masters from the Carefree Sect have already been living here in advance, joining other forces in tackling the portal," Zhang Tianxin walked at the front and also spoke to everyone.

But just as they entered the mansion, Zhang Tianxin’s expression immediately darkened.

"This…" As Lin Qian entered the mansion, his face also revealed a look of astonishment, genuinely surprised. Find adventures at NovelBin.Côm